Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to sell the former Fire Station 11 at 4520 Washington, a protected landmark, to Matt Tabrizi for $350,000.

"Two bidders submitted identical high bids," reported Building Services Department Director Issa Z. Dadoush, explaining that the final recommendation to sell the property to Tabrizi was determined by the drawing of lots. "The sale is subject to the city's billboard restrictions (and) historic landmark restrictions."

The city council voted to approve membership contracts for the Houston Area Library Automated Network, a consortium of eight local library systems organized to share the costs of library automation and technology implementation.

"Started in 1988 to share the costs of automating circulation functions, members of HARLAN are now able to maintain the library catalog, circulate materials, select, acquire and catalog materials and interface with the World Wide Web for enhanced functions in the catalog," said Library Department Director Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson. "The current members of HARLAN are the Houston Public Library, Bellaire Public Library, Hebert Public Library in Port Neches, Hughes Public Library in Nederland, Lee College Library in Baytown, Pasadena Public Library, Port Arthur Public Library and Sterling Municipal Library in Baytown."

The city council confirmed White's reappointment of James Kilpatrick, Viola M. Garcia, Robert R. Burchfield and Kamal Husein to the Near Northwest Management District Board of Directors; and the appointment of Dennis H. Miller and Michael Scott Cirillo to the board.

The city council confirmed White's reappointment of Mark D. Smith, Mark D. Taylor, Brad Fricks, David J. Lee, Suzanne Anderson, Lloyd T. Lauland, Jr. and Andrew R. Lear to the Westchase District Board of Directors; and the appointment of Gary Blumberg and Philip Schneidau to the board.

Several items were tagged, or delayed for one week, by individual members of the city council. All but one those items were tagged by Addie Wiseman:

An ordinance approving the FY08 General, Enterprise and Special Revenue Funds budgets.

An ordinance providing for continuation of appropriations to support city functions and creating a Library Special Revenue Fund.

Two proposed grant applications to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for monitoring in the Houston Ship Channel area.

A developer participation contract with Waterway Development Inc. for construction of water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines in the Sterling Village Subdivision.

A developer participation contract with Middlebury Properties, LP for construction of water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines in Section Two of the Fuqua Landing Subdivision.

A developer participation contract with Middlebury Properties, LP for construction of water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines in Section Four of the Clearwood Crossing Subdivision.

Council Member Carol Alvarado tagged a proposed $34,926,668.33 contract with Altivia Corporation for chemicals for the Department of Public Works and Engineering.

The city council voted to delay for two weeks action on an ordinance relating to the parking of vehicles on residential properties; and to delay for one week action on a proposed $8,492,400 contract with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. for operation and maintenance of the oxygen plant at the 69th Street Wastewater Treatment Facility.